Nowakowski: We told him he did the right thing

PHOENIX – The Phoenix Police Department is dealing with an officer charged with murder, accused of killing an unarmed man. But the focus right now is not at that officer, but instead on City Hall.

Two city officials are accused of obstructing a criminal investigation and tampering with a witness. They allegedly contacted the witness in that police murder case — Officer Sergio Virgillo, who blew the whistle on Officer Richard Chrisman’s alleged conduct.

A national watchdog group is claiming the councilmen crossed the line, and maybe even broke the law.

Phoenix police Officer Richard Chrisman, who is facing a second-degree murder charge, had been suspended for misconduct in 2006 and was the subject of several internal investigations related to on-duty traffic incidents, personnel records released Monday show.

Chrisman’s personnel file also show he has received several commendations and positive performance reviews during his nearly 10 years on the force.

Chrisman is accused of fatally shooting 29-year-old Danny Frank Rodriguez while answering a call in south Phoenix on Oct. 5.

Records show Chrisman was suspended without pay for 10 hours on Jan. 27, 2006. The incident of officer misconduct involved Chrisman slipping his partner drug paraphernalia to plant on a homeless woman as a prank in 2005.

Chrisman admitted the joke was his idea and that his behavior was “way beyond unprofessional,” according to a suspension report in his personnel file.

A police commander who began his career in south Phoenix is returning to lead the South Mountain Precinct.

Cmdr. Chris Crockett, a 23-year veteran of the department, began his new assignment Oct. 11.

Phoenix Public Safety Manager Jack Harris said the change in leadership was in the works prior to a police-officer shooting of an unarmed man in south Phoenix on Oct. 5.

“There has been criticism of how we react with the community,” said Harris. “There is a perception that we can do things better. (The shooting incident) may have accelerated the implementation, but it wasn’t the motivating factor.”

PHOENIX — The Phoenix police officer whose account of a domestic violence call led to murder charges against officer Richard Chrisman is married to a convicted felon.

Sergio Virgillo’s wife, Maria, was convicted of illegal control of an enterprise in 2008 and sentenced to three years probation.

Court documents show Maria Virgillo was one of four people indicted in a drug smuggling operation that trafficked in meth and cocaine in July 2008.

She was sentenced to three years probation in November 2008.

During that time, the indictment says Sergio Virgillo was a detective for Phoenix’s drug enforcement bureau and that his wife provied information obtained from him about undercover practices to her brother, who is named as an “intricate member” of the drug trafficking organization.

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man has been arrested, accused of forcing a teenage girl into prostitution.

Al Green, 20, was arrested after the SWAT team busted into his home Friday evening, said police.

Police said the investigation began after the victim, an 18-year-old girl, escaped Friday morning and her grandmother called police in south Phoenix. According to detectives, the girl was lured from a bus stop near 24th Street and Broadway Road about a month ago.

PHOENIX – Police took a man into custody after a standoff in a south Phoenix neighborhood Saturday.

Phoenix police say officers responded to a report of stolen auto parts found in the bed of a pickup truck near Central Avenue and Baseline Road and when they arrived realized the man they were looking for had numerous outstanding felony arrest warrants.

Sgt. Lisa Gilligan said when officers attempted to contact the man he tried to escape out a back door but was stopped and barricaded himself inside.

The suspect was eventually found in the attic by a K-9 officer and taken into custody.